NEWS

Borough President James Oddo has joined with the de Blasio Administration to announce a partnership that will bring a new program aimed at addressing high blood pressure to barbershops along the North Shore of Staten Island.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is often referred to as the “silent killer” because it may not show symptoms before causing a heart attack or stroke. Hypertension is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke among New Yorkers; more than one in four adult New Yorkers is diagnosed with high blood pressure. In New York City, the prevalence of hypertension is 1.5 times higher among African American adults than white adults, and African American men in particular have a significantly higher rate of hypertension than white men. Under the program, New York City’s Health and Mental Hygiene department will work with BP Oddo to address the high blood pressure rates among African American men.

Individuals in communities with high health disparities have historically struggled to access care. One way experts have sought to overcome this challenge is by partnering with community spaces to conduct outreach. One program BP Oddo is familiar with is the Men’s Health Initiative, led by Dr. Joseph Ravenell at NYU’s Langone Health. The program has brought together a diverse group of research assistants, community health workers, and volunteers—including barbers—to barbershops in various neighborhoods across New York City to take blood pressure readings of African American men and connect those who are at risk of hypertension with medical care. The results of the program show a significant improvement in blood pressure among barbershop customers who participated. The proposed Staten Island program would reflect Dr. Ravenell’s program.

BP Oddo first discovered Dr. Joseph Ravenell’s work while reading “Who Can You Trust?” by Rachel Botsman. He subsequently watched Dr. Ravenell’s TED Talk on African American men and high blood pressure which detailed the barbershop pilot program. The TED Talk can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6zkeyM0D2s

BP Oddo invited Dr. Ravenell to Borough Hall for a meeting with his staff and local clergy in early June to talk about replicating the program on Staten Island.

“High blood pressure can lead to fatal consequences if left unchecked, and unfortunately, so many African American men don’t even know they have it,” said BP Oddo. “After reading about the issue, I became incredibly interested in Dr. Ravenell’s program and worked with my staff to figure out how we could replicate it successfully on Staten Island. I’m pleased that the Administration has joined with us to bring this program to life on the North Shore. I hope this program allows African American men in our community to learn more about the issue and take control of their health. Thank you to Dr. Ravenell for working with us to bring this innovative program to Staten Island.”

“High blood pressure is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke – New York City’s top killers,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett. “High blood pressure is a common and dangerous condition that impacts an estimated 1.8 million New Yorkers. The Health Department recently launched a coalition of over 100 stakeholders focused on reducing the burden of high blood pressure citywide. I applaud Borough President Oddo and Mayor de Blasio for their attention to raising awareness of this condition among Staten Island residents.”

​On Staten Island, the number of hospitalizations related to hypertension are higher than other boroughs. The neighborhoods of St. George/Stapleton and Port Richmond have higher rates of hospitalization for high blood pressure than the city overall.

On Friday, July 27th, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced progress on new efforts at coordination among City agencies and utilities to avoid “street cuts” to freshly paved streets. ​“Street cuts annoy everyone, and we want to make sure they bother people after a fresh re-paving as little as possible,” said Mayor de Blasio. “We have done more to re-pave streets across Staten Island than ever before, and now this program will help keep freshly paved streets undisturbed for longer. We look forward to continue working with Borough President Oddo on this.”

Back in May, the Mayor had announced that New York City had paved 5,000 lane-miles since 2014; under the de Blasio Administration, nearly 786 lane miles have been paved on Staten Island, nearly half of the borough’s streets. Noting that progress, the Mayor had also acknowledged the frustration of elected leaders like Staten Island Borough President Jimmy Oddo, who had called on the City to better counter the incidence of freshly paved streets being reopened for utility work.

“I freely admit that I drive Staten Island at times solely to look for street cuts,” said Borough President Oddo. “This is how obsessive I have become over this issue. Why? For several reasons. They are literally undercutting one of the best things Mayor de Blasio has done during his tenure – our “Pave, Baby, Pave” campaign of historic levels of resurfacing of our streets. Street cuts waste taxpayer dollars. Street cuts rob our quality of life. Streets cuts are an example of poor planning, antiquated rule making, and a lack of coordination and collaboration. We can do much better. I value the ongoing dialogue I have had with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor Laura Anglin. The proposed changes are a good start. I have other specific suggestions I want to see implemented, and clearly we have more work to do. But, we have the attention of the Mayor. We have a very capable Deputy Mayor leading the undertaking, and finally we have a genuine effort to end the street cut status quo and bring about a more appropriate process that helps ensure we have better roads for a longer period of time.”

The Mayor noted progress since that initial announcement:

Street Cuts Policy Working Group – All City capital agencies, including Transportation (DOT), Environmental Protection (DEP) and Design and Construction (DDC) now meet monthly with senior representatives from utility companies to share plans and coordinate work. This group focuses on higher-level structural issues to maintain City policy of strongly discouraging any street cuts in the first two years after a given street is repaved by DOT -- including through emerging trenchless technologies and ensuring quality restoration.

Improved DEP/DOT Coordination – The agency that paves streets and the agency that is responsible for the City’s water systems are also coordinating their work, including by:· As part of a new pilot program on Staten Island, DEP will coordinate inspection and repair of its manholes and catch basins with DOT’s paving schedule. After a roadway is milled, DEP crews will use the two to three week period before repaving to inspect manholes and catch basins and make any necessary repairs. This will significantly reduce the need for DEP to open the roadway for a non-emergency repair during the two-year protected window.· DEP has increased staffing, hiring seven additional supervisors to work with DOT to better coordinate restoration of City streets.

Improved DEP/DDC Coordination Around Manhole Covers – Aging and defective manhole covers are among the most challenging of issues around paving and restoring streets. To address this challenge, DEP has procured 5 manhole restoration contracts with DDC. As part of this work, defective manhole covers and hardware will be repaired and/or replaced. In addition, manhole covers will be raised where necessary and defective areas around manholes will be restored. These contracts are valued at a total of $13.6 million, of which $2.75 million is dedicated to Staten Island.

Increased DDC work on Pedestrian Ramps – To increase accessibility, hundreds of sidewalk pedestrian ramps on Staten Island require construction or restoration. DDC’s pedestrian ramp contractor in Staten Island has agreed to implement final restoration upon completion of pedestrian ramps at all locations (i.e., no temporary restoration allowed). The FY18 Pedestrian contract just bid included such requirements and we have scheduled a Pre-Award with low bidder to make sure the bidder read and understands the new requirements will be fully enforced.

Other DEP Improvements as Part of Street Cut Coordination Efforts:· Begin using excavation markers to quickly identify any defects in DEP street cuts. · DEP will this month begin a pilot saw cutting of excavations in Staten Island for a smoother restoration of streets.· Maximize DEP in-house paving crews to address restorations: DEP has allocated and maximized in-house paving crews to address restorations.

Agency Coordination with National Grid – The utility that provides most of New York City’s natural gas, has provided the City with its comprehensive multi-year capital plan, which will allow for improved coordination with all City agencies going forward.

On Friday, July 27th, Mayor de Blasio announced new City funding to provide upgrades to the 9/11 Postcards Memorial in St. George, which honors the 274 Staten Island residents killed in the September 11th attacks of 2001 and in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The funding came at the request of BP Oddo.

The new City funding will go towards needed repairs to the memorial, which was built in 2004. The City is providing $250,000 to upgrade the memorial’s electrical and lighting system. The funding will also go towards new marine-grade gel to protect and preserve the memorial from corrosion or other deterioration resulting from an outdoor climate. ​In 2017, BP Oddo held a ceremony honoring 66 dedicated first responders who lost their lives due to illnesses related to the September 11th attack by adding their names to the First Responders Memorial, which is adjacent to the Postcards Memorial. This year, the City honored the sacrifice of seven additional Staten Islanders and added their names to the memorial.

"The vision of former Borough President Jim Molinaro for a 9/11 memorial, along with Masa Sono’s unique architectural design of Postcards, was truly inspired; it is indeed the most special of places,” said Borough President James Oddo. “Mayor de Blasio and I recognize that we are the temporary stewards of this monument honoring the memory of those lost, and of the ongoing pledge to offer emotional support to their families. However, Postcards is in dire need of some TLC if it is to remain a pristine source of comfort, so I went to the Mayor and sought his financial help. His positive response was instantaneous and unwavering, and for that I am truly grateful."​“The Postcards Memorial is a sacred place. It gives comfort to survivors, victims’ families and visitors alike,” said Mayor de Blasio. “I heard the Borough President’s call to invest in the memorial’s upkeep so it can provide solace to our city for generations to come. We will always remember the sacrifices made on 9/11, and will work every day to live up to the memory of those we lost.”

​“The Postcard Memorial is a tribute to the individuals whose lives were lost in tragedy, offering small solace to families forever impacted on that day,” said NYCEDC President and CEO James Patchett. “This Administration is proud to have worked with Borough President Oddo to secure the funding that this memorial deserves, and to honor the lives of New Yorkers who were taken too soon.”

The Postcards Memorial was built and is maintained by the New York City Economic Development Corporation.

​On Friday, July 27th, BP Oddo joined Mayor Bill de Blasio, Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza, and Lorraine Grillo, President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York City School Construction Authority, as part of “City Hall in Your Borough” to announce that the City of New York will acquire the St. John Villa Academy Campus.

The approximately seven-acre property will be converted into a new public school space by the School Construction Authority (SCA). DOE and SCA are still working develop a proposal for the future educational campus. The new project is expected to provide over 1,000 new seats to children on Staten Island.

“This is a deeply bittersweet moment because the pain of the St. John Villa family is still palpable, and it will be that way for a long time. I recognize that,” said Borough President Oddo. “The closure of this school will never sit well with some, and I very much understand those deep emotions. As the person responsible to represent the 500,000 people of this borough, I knew what would be even worse than St. John Villa closing would be St. John Villa closing and this bastion of education reduced into an unwanted residential development. We have seen that regrettable scenario play out nearby in recent years. I am pleased the City has stepped up in a big way to acquire this precious space. I will do all I can to ensure the learning that takes place here in the future lives up to the rich tradition of educational excellence of St. John Villa.”

“Schools are sacred places that fundamentally help our kids achieve their full potential and bind our communities together,” said Mayor de Blasio. “This new state-of-the-art facility will allow more than 1,000 children the opportunity to access a high-quality education.”​“Today’s announcement is a big win for parents and students on Staten Island, and will bring hundreds of new high-quality seats to the area,” said Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza. “I’m looking forward to working with the Staten Island community to develop new, state-of-the-art facilities that will create new and exciting learning opportunities for our students.”

“New school buildings are a vital investment in our communities, and I am thrilled that we are going to be able support Staten Island families with this new campus,” said Lorraine Grillo, President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York City School Construction Authority. “This campus provides seven acres of space for us to build new school buildings that will meet the needs of students and ensure they have access to cutting edge facilities.”

The DOE will conduct community engagement over the next several months to get feedback from the community on the types of schools and programs that would best meet the needs of Staten Island. The DOE and SCA will then unveil a proposed plan and timeline for the new facility once the community engagement and final assessment of the condition of the current campus are complete.

On Thursday, July 26th, Borough President Oddo joined with DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg and DOT Borough Commissioner Tom Cocola as part of “City Hall in Your Borough” to announce the new configuration plan at the intersection of Clove Road and Howard Avenue. This short-term solution will eliminate the left turn lanes from Clove Road to both Tioga Street and Howard Avenue and re-align the intersection to create two through lanes in order to help traffic flow more easily and safely through this intersection.

After conducting a comprehensive survey of circulation at the Clove and Howard intersection, DOT determined this solution would be the best to temporarily ease the traffic problems. This is a short-term interim solution, which will be followed by a long-term capital project with a permanent solution.

“This is an issue I have been working with DOT to find a solution for since 2014, so I’m pleased to see these changes implemented,” said BP Oddo. “Eliminating the left turn lanes to create extra through lanes will help traffic flow more easily and safely through this intersection. This is a tangible step to offer Staten Islanders some relief, but we know there is more to do. With Lorraine Grillo now heading up the New York City Department of Design and Construction, I am confident, along with Commissioner Trottenberg and the leadership of Wagner College, we can begin genuine discussions on a capital project that would provide even more assistance to motorists and pedestrians using this corridor. Thank you to the Administration for heeding our call on this and working with us to improve these conditions.”

“City Hall in Your Borough brings government to the grassroots, so we can see problems firsthand and fix them. That’s exactly what we’re doing at this corner,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Working with Borough President Oddo, we’re going to begin construction this fall to make this intersection safer and less congested. We’ll continue working across Staten Island to reach Vision Zero.”

“We were happy to work with the Borough President to make really solid fixes to this intersection,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “We know that left turns are far more dangerous than right turns, and so changes that can eliminate those turns, keep traffic moving and not inconvenience a very large number of drivers are a win-win for everybody.”

On Wednesday, July 25th, the de Blasio Administration announced new funding that will further strengthen the West Shore of Staten Island and New York City’s freight and distribution industry. The City will provide $2.5 million to improve access to and from Global Container Terminal – New York (GCT) and the Matrix Development, two major industrial job hubs in the borough.

The City’s investment will help improve access to the two industrial job hubs by converting Forest Ave into a streamlined one-way street and improving signal configuration between Gulf Avenue and Goethals Road North on Staten Island.

This intersection has long been disruptive for many of the jobs-intensive industrial and distribution uses on the West Shore of Staten Island. GCT is the largest marine terminal in New York State, with over 300 jobs. The Matrix Development site, which will be home to new IKEA and Amazon distribution facilities, will be home to approximately 2,000 jobs.

This $7 million project is a collaboration between multiple partners to support good jobs on the West Shore, including NYCEDC, Borough President James Oddo, NYCDOT, the Port Authority, GCT, and Empire State Development. NYCDOT is in the process of converting Gulf Avenue to a two way street and Forest Ave. into a one way street northbound to improve access to the Matrix development. This capital improvement will add additional freight capacity to the intersection by adding two more lanes to northbound Forest Ave and improving off-ramp capacity by 2020.

"In June, my staff and I met with DOT, the Port Authority, National Grid, Matrix Development, and Global Container Terminal to talk about the need to improve local infrastructure to address our growing 'Jobs Coast.' We know we need to work together to ensure safe and easy access to these sites, which will bring thousands of jobs to our borough,” said Borough President James Oddo. “Thank you to the Administration for responding so quickly to our request and working with us to make these crucial infrastructure upgrades, and thank you to all our partners who have worked to ensure that this project is a success."

"We're doubling down on our efforts to create a diverse and resilient economy by investing in more middle class jobs," said Mayor de Blasio. "This early investment in the Freight NYC plan will strengthen the distribution industry on Staten Island and ensure that the West Shore continues to have thousands of quality industrial jobs for years to come."

“The West Shore of Staten Island has a rich industrial history, providing residents with thousands of quality jobs for decades,” said NYCEDC President and CEO James Patchett. “This Administration is making big investments in the city’s freight and distribution industries through our Freight NYC plan, and this new funding will further strengthen the already vibrant industrial economy in Staten Island. We’re proud to have worked with Borough President Oddo and our partners across city and state government to advance this important project.”

On Monday, July 23rd, Borough President Oddo joined with Mayor Bill de Blasio, Health Commissioner Mary Bassett, Council Member Joe Borelli, and Bob Sabatino, founder of Lyme Society Inc. on Staten Island, at a press conference in Blue Heron Park. As a kickoff event for 2018’s "City Hall in Your Borough," the conversation revolved around ways to prevent Lyme disease, promote education and awareness about tick-borne illnesses, and protect the health of Staten Islanders.

During the press conference, The Mayor released a plan for Enhanced Tick Control for Staten Island. The strategy includes:

Enhanced Tick Surveillance of City Parks: The Health Department will double the number of surveillance sites on Staten Island from 14 to 28.

Enhanced Surveillance of New Yorkers with Lyme disease, focused on Staten Island: The Health Department will conduct more detailed case investigations of Lyme disease and work in partnership with NYC Parks and academic institutions to better understand risk factors for infection.

Outreach: Health education and prevention activities on tick-borne diseases will be expanded, increasing awareness and outreach.

Tick Control: Novel methods under consideration for use next spring include bait boxes, which attract mice. Mice are the primary reservoir of the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Once the mice enter the bait box, they are covered with a small amount of the same active ingredient used to control ticks on pets. The Health Department may also use biological pesticide that uses a fungus found in soil to spray on vegetation where ticks look for hosts such as deer, to feed on.

This Enhanced Tick Control program will allow for a way to determine high risk areas in order to target control efforts to these specific areas of Staten Island and reduce Lyme disease cases.

“We understand how serious Lyme disease can be, and while we're seeing cases level off, even one case is one too many,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Today we're committing to doubling down on our efforts and our focus on Staten Island, where we know this disease is of particular concern. We hope New Yorkers join us and do their due diligence to keep themselves safe.”

“My team and I have spent a lot of time focusing on this issue, not because we are alarmists, but because we know the serious medical side effects that can happen from a tick bite,” BP Oddo said. “Borough Hall will not rest until we are doing everything we can to suppress the tick population and reduce the number of Lyme disease cases on Staten Island. This is an issue we need to get better at on Staten Island and in the City of New York, so I am happy to see the announcement of this project on Staten Island.”

The City will increase spending approximately $600,000 a year on this initiative.

On Sunday, October 1st, hundreds gathered at the 9/11 First Responders Memorial on the St. George Promenade to dedicate the memorial, which honors the sacrifices made by Staten Island’s First Responders who died as a result of their brave service on—and in the aftermath of—9/11.

BP Oddo and Mayor de Blasio spoke about the importance of getting the names of those we’ve lost inscribed on the memorial. The ceremony featured touching musical performances by Arlette Roxburgh as well as tribute readings.

“I made a promise to the families that 9/11/2016 would be the last anniversary that names of those lost as a result of their work on 9/11 and its aftermath would be absent from the Memorial dedicated to their memory. I am glad these names are finally in their rightful place on the monument,” said BP Oddo. “These are heroes, and these are people who live life the way we should. These are people who were selfless. Now more than ever, in this time of division, we need to remember their stories. Their lives should be remembered, and their stories should be told."

"We will not forget them, and we will not forget their families as they continue to bear the pain that unites us all, remembering what they gave, the good they were, and the example they are still to all of us," de Blasio said.

We thank all those who made the ceremony special, including NYCEDC, FDNY, NYPD, DSNY, Fred Ariemma of Ariemma’s Garden Center, Anthony Campitiello of Alfonso’s Pastry Shoppe, Sal Sottile of Sottile Security International Inc., and the NY Wheel.